The sixth annual Employee Giving Campaign

Northern
Arizona University’s sixth annual Employee Giving Campaign kicked off
March 31 with the goal of attracting support from more than 1,000 employees. Around
the university, 30 employees volunteer as “campaign ambassadors,” inspiring
peers to contribute to NAU. Employees Penny Medina and David Spivey show others
how easy and rewarding it is to give, while Brianna Lorents is a young donor
whose ambassador, Katrina Marquez, champions her efforts.

Inspiring by example

Penny
Medina, ’95 BS, is a 20-year employee, most recently with the College of
Education as assistant to the dean. She uses creative flair and undying
enthusiasm to express her joy of giving.

“I’ve
had such wonderful moments with our faculty and staff,” Penny explains. “Even
though they’re at different stages of their lives, they never seem to think
it’s a hardship to give.” Penny supports Santa’s Sleigh fund, supporting fellow
employees during times of difficulty, and the general fund in the College of
Education.

David
Spivey, Associate Director of the Graduate College, has been an ambassador for
three years. He has also supported Santa’s Sleigh, as well as graduate college
scholarships.

“The Employee Giving Campaign provides an
easy, team-oriented way to support those areas at the university about which we
feel passionate,” David states. “Serving as an ambassador and helping to
champion the spirit of giving at NAU is my way of paying it forward.”

A heritage of support

Brianna
Lorents, ’09 BA, has worked full-time in University Advancement for almost a
year. Her interactions with donors and staff, especially Katrina Marquez, the
employee campaign ambassador for University Advancement, inspired her to donate
to two funds close to her heart.

The
first fund is the NAU Dining Scholarship Fund, which Brianna explains was an
easy decision when she learned that some students on campus were having difficulty finding food.

The
second fund she supported was one bearing her family’s name, the Lorents
Family Scholarship. This scholarship supports undergraduates interested in information
systems and was founded by her grandfather Alden C. Lorents, a retired business
professor.

“I
love NAU,” Brianna asserts, noting her great-grandfather came to Flagstaff to
work at the historic lumber mill, and her family has deep ties to the university.
“I am local to the extreme, and I feel like I am giving to something that is
really important to me.”

These campaign ambassadors boost employee participation, and employees receive the
satisfaction of knowing they are making a difference in the lives of the
students they work with and serve each day.

“The Employee Giving Campaign provides an easy, team-oriented way to support those areas at the university about which we feel passionate.” – David Spivey, Associate Director of the Graduate College